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Mahmudullah blitz takes Bangladesh to tri-series final

March 16, 2018
Bangladesh cricketer Mustafizur Rahman (R) dismisses Sri Lanka's Upul Tharanga (C) during the sixth Twenty20 (T20) international cricket match between Bangladesh and Sri Lanka of the tri-nation Nidahas Trophy at the R. Premadasa stadium in Colombo on Friday. — AFP
Bangladesh cricketer Mustafizur Rahman (R) dismisses Sri Lanka's Upul Tharanga (C) during the sixth Twenty20 (T20) international cricket match between Bangladesh and Sri Lanka of the tri-nation Nidahas Trophy at the R. Premadasa stadium in Colombo on Friday. — AFP

COLOMBO — Mahmudullah Riyad hit an unbeaten 43 to help Bangladesh edge out Sri Lanka by two wickets in a bad-tempered Twenty20 match and enter the final of the tri-series in Colombo on Friday.

Chasing 160 for victory in a virtual semifinal, Mahmudullah steered the team home with a six on the penultimate ball but not before a heated exchange of words between the players of the two sides. The Tigers will take on India in the final on Sunday.

High drama unfolded in the virtual semifinal at the R Premadasa Stadium with Bangladesh needing 12 runs off the last over bowled by Isuru Udana. Drama unfolded when Mustafizur Rahman missed two bouncers from Udana in the final over and was run out but the Bangladesh players contested the call, saying it was a no ball due to its height.

Play had been briefly halted as Bangladesh players remonstrated about two shoulder-high balls in the final over and members of both teams had to be restrained.

Skipper Shakib Al Hasan looked furious on the boundary and even waved to call the batsmen back to the pavilion. But sanity prevailed at R. Premadasa Sadium and Bangladesh erupted after getting the winning runs, Mahmudullah smashing a six off the penultimate delivery to seal an emotional victory for his team.

It was a crucial third-wicket partnership between opener Tamim Iqbal, who made 50 off 42 balls, and Mushfiqur Rahim, who hit 28, that set up the win for the underdogs. Mystery spinner Akila Dananjaya claimed two wickets.

Iqbal led Bangladesh's reply with a fluent half cenury but they lost wickets in quick succession until Mahmudullah took responsibility to get them over the line. Kept off strike for the first two balls of the final over from Udana, Mahmudullah hit the third for four, took two off the next and flicked the fifth over the square leg boundary for six to trigger wild celebration by his teammates.

Earlier, Sri Lanka slumped to 41-5 in the ninth over after being put into bat before fighting half-centuries from Kusal Perera and captain Thisara Perera helped them to a respectable total of 159-7.

Playing his first match of the tournament following a finger injury, Bangladesh all-rounder Shakib Al Hasan triggered a spectacular top-order collapse by dismissing Sri Lanka opener Danushka Gunathilaka in the third over.

Kusal Perera made 61 and Thisara Perera contributed 58 to arrest the slide and help Sri Lanka past the 150-mark. Pace spearhead Mustafizur claimed two wickets. The tournament commemorates 70 years of Sri Lankan independence. — Agencies

Scorecard

Sri Lanka

D. Gunathilaka c Rahim b Shakib 4

K. Mendis c Sarkar b Rahman 11

K. Perera c Miraz b Sarkar 61

U. Tharanga run out 5

D. Shanaka c Rahim b Rahman 0

J. Mendis c Rahman b Miraz 3

T. Perera c Iqbal b Hossain 58

I. Udana not out 7

A. Dhananjaya not out 1

Extras: (4lb, 5w) 9

Total: (for 7 wickets, 20 overs) 159

Fall of wickets: 1-15, 2-22, 3-31, 4-32, 5-41, 6-138, 7-154.

Did not bat: Amila Aponso, Nuwan Pradeep.

Bowling: Shakib Al Hasan 2-0-9-1 (1w), Rubel Hosain 4-0-41-1, Mustafizur Rahman 4-1-39-2 (2w), Mehedi Hasan Miraz 4-0-16-1, Mahmudullah Riyad 4-0-29-0 (1w), Saumya Sarkar 2-0-21-1 (1w).

Bangladesh

T. Iqbal c KPerera b Gunathilaka 50

Liton Das c T. Perera b Dananjaya 0

S. Rahman st. K. Perera b Dananjaya 13

M.r Rahim c T. Perera b Aponso 28

S. Sarkar c K. Perera b Mendis 10

Mahmudullah not out 43

S. Al Hasan c Dananjaya b Udana 7

M. Hasan Miraz run out 0

M. Rahman run out 0

R. Hossain not out 0

Extras: (9w) 9

Total: (for 8 wickets. 19.5 overs) 160

Fall of wickets: 1-11, 2-33, 3-97, 4-105, 5-109, 6-137, 7-148, 8-148.

Did not bat: Nazmul Islam.

Bowling: Nuwan Pradeep 1-0-10-0 (1w), Akila Dhananjaya 4-0-37-2 (1w), Amila Aponso 3-0-19-1, Thisara Perera 2-0-20-0, Danushka Gunathilaka 3-0-24-1 (7w), Jeevan Mendis 4-0-24-1, Isuru Udana 2.5-0-26-1.


March 16, 2018
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